1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to augmentive communication devices and more specifically it relates to a communication system with interchangeable overlays for recording and playing audio data corresponding to graphical and/or textual elements on an overlay wherein the audio data is stored upon the overlay.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Augmentative communication devices that allow individuals with a speaking disability to communicate have been in use for years. Augmentative communication devices are typically utilized to assist individuals with speaking disabilities to communicate to others. With most devices commercially available, audio or visual information is controlled by the user. There are two main types of communications devices on the market: visual output and audio output. Visual output devices include mechanical pointers, phrase books, picture symbol books, and CRT or LCD displays. Audio output included recorded speech, sound, or synthesized speech for indicating user choices, phrases and sentences to other people. There are also devices available that combine visual output and audio output that will not be discussed.
A commonly utilized communication system involves the usage of a communication device having a touch pad which utilizes various overlays. Each overlay includes a plurality of xe2x80x9citemsxe2x80x9d such as pictures or text. When the user positions an overlay upon the communication device, the user must directly input to the communication device an identifier describing the overlay that is currently being utilized. When an individual presses upon an item or area of the overlay, the communication device accesses its memory to play the associated sound, word or sentence.
While these devices may be suitable for the particular purpose to which they address, they are not as suitable for providing an incrementally expandable and diverse storage capacity that can be utilized upon various communication devices. Conventional communication devices do not allow for the recording of structure data and audio data stored upon a removable overlay and require difficult programming for a user to utilize the devices.
In these respects, the communication system with interchangeable overlays according to the present invention substantially departs from the conventional concepts and designs of the prior art, and in so doing provides an apparatus primarily developed for the purpose of providing an incrementally expandable and diverse storage capacity that can be utilized upon various communication devices.
In view of the foregoing disadvantages inherent in the known types of augmentive communication devices now present in the prior art, the present invention provides a new communication system with interchangeable overlays construction wherein the same can be utilized for providing an incrementally expandable and diverse storage capacity that can be utilized upon various communication devices.
The general purpose of the present invention, which will be described subsequently in greater detail, is to provide a new communication system with interchangeable overlays that has many of the advantages of the augmentive communication devices mentioned heretofore and many novel features that result in a new communication system with interchangeable overlays which is not anticipated, rendered obvious, suggested, or even implied by any of the prior art augmentive communication devices, either alone or in any combination thereof.
To attain this, the present invention generally comprises a communication device having a touch pad integrated within, an overlay removably positionable within the communication unit, and a control unit attached to the overlay. An interface within the control unit allows communication with the communication unit when the overlay is positioned upon the touch pad. The control unit has two main types of recordable data contained within: xe2x80x9cstructure dataxe2x80x9d for identifying one or more elements upon the overlay, and xe2x80x9caudio dataxe2x80x9d that corresponds to the elements of the overlay.
There has thus been outlined, rather broadly, the more important features of the invention in order that the detailed description thereof may be better understood, and in order that the present contribution to the art may be better appreciated. There are additional features of the invention that will be described hereinafter and that will form the subject matter of the claims appended hereto.
In this respect, before explaining at least one embodiment of the invention in detail, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited in its application to the details of construction and to the arrangements of the components set forth in the following description or illustrated in the drawings. The invention is capable of other embodiments and of being practiced and carried out in various ways. Also, it is to be understood that the phraseology and terminology employed herein are for the purpose of the description and should not be regarded as limiting.
A primary object of the present invention is to provide a communication system with interchangeable overlays that will overcome the shortcomings of the prior art devices.
A second object is to provide a communication system with interchangeable overlays for providing an incrementally expandable and diverse storage capacity that can be utilized upon various communication devices.
Another object is to provide a communication system with interchangeable overlays that eliminates the need to coordinate stored structure and audio data with an overlay when changing overlays within a communication device.
An additional object is to provide a communication system with interchangeable overlays that can be utilized as a communication tool, learning aid, or an entertainment device.
A further object is to provide a communication system with interchangeable overlays that allow for a wide variety of elements comprised of graphics and/or textual.
Another object is to provide a communication system with interchangeable overlays that allows for an overlay to be reutilized with different elements and structures without requiring the purchase of separate overlay.
A further object is to provide a communication system with interchangeable overlays that is programmable.
Another object is to provide a communication system that does not require a user to program or set the communication unit according to the overlay to be utilized.
Other objects and advantages of the present invention will become obvious to the reader and it is intended that these objects and advantages are within the scope of the present invention.
To the accomplishment of the above and related objects, this invention may be embodied in the form illustrated in the accompanying drawings, attention being called to the fact, however, that the drawings are illustrative only, and that changes may be made in the specific construction illustrated and described within the scope of the appended claims.